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Hollinger Corp. 



05 



JHE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERUVIAN 

ALFALFA INDUSTRY IN THE 

UNITED STATES 



H. L. WESTOVER 

Agronomist, Office of Forage-Crop Investigations 




UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
DEPARTMENT CIRCULAR 93 



Contribution from the Rureau of Plant Industry 

( Office of Forage-Crop Investigations ) 

WM. A. TAYLOR, Chief 



Washington, D. C. 



June, 1920 



WASHINGTON : GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE i 1920 



Koaoemfe 




Fig- I.— A Typical Plant of True or Hairy Peruvian Alfalfa. 



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V 



*Sb2,05 



THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PERUVIAN ALFALFA 
INDUSTRY IN THE UNITED STATES 



Of the alfalfas introduced from Peru, two distinct strains are at 
present quite generally recognized in the United States. These 
strains differ more or less in several respects, but most noticeably in 
the abundance of hairs on the stems and leaves. It is because of this 
difference that such names as " smooth-leaved Peruvian " and " hairy 
Peruvian " as applied to these alfalfas have come into general use. 
In this paper, however, for reasons that will be discussed fully 
later, the name " Peruvian alfalfa " will be used exclusively in con- 
nection with the more hairy type. 

While it is a well-known fact that the Peruvian alfalfa now grown 
in this country is the progeny of a direct importation from Peru, 
there is more or less confusion regarding the origin of the so-called 
" smooth Peruvian " alfalfa. An impression that it is the result of 
a natural cross between the common and Peruvian alfalfas that has 
developed since the introduction of the latter into this country has 
gained some foothold. There is some ground for the opinion that 
the " smooth Peruvian " is a hybrid alfalfa, but if it is a hybrid the 
original crossing undoubtedly took place before its introduction into 
the United States, although unquestionably there has been further 
crossing since that time. That a marked difference in these two al- 
falfas existed when they were first introduced can perhaps best be 
established through a careful examination of the results secured with 
the seed of the original importations in so far as available records 
permit. 

The first recorded introduction of alfalfa into the United States 
from Peru was made in May, 1899, under S. P. I No. 3075, 1 but 
unfortunately there are no available records as to the results that 
were secured with this introduction. About two months later, an- 
other introduction was made under S. P. I. No. 3399, which was tried 
at Chico, Calif., and at other points. This is one of the introduc- 
tions upon which the earlier data on the superior qualities of the 
Peruvian alfalfa were based. While S. P. I. No. 3399 was grown in 
an experimental way at least as early as 1904, neither the plants bear- 
ing this number nor those bearing S. P. I. No. 3075 were perpetuated. 
The first Peruvian introduction whose progeny is being grown com- 

1 The record number of the Office of Foreign Seed and Plant Introduction of the Bureau 
of Plant Industry. 

170707" — 20 3 



4 Departmental Circular 93, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 

mercially in this country was made in 1903 under S. P. I. No. 9303. 
It appears from the earlier experiments as well as from plantings 
made in 1918 with seed of the original importations of S. P. I. Nos. 
3399 and 9303 that the two introductions are identical in every re- 
spect. 

So far as can- be ascertained from the available records, the first 
seeding of Peruvian alfalfa in the Yuma Valley was made in the 
spring of 1906 with S. P. I. No. 9303. The early seeding made here 
and at other points in the Southwest demonstrated quite definitely 
the superiority of the Peruvian alfalfa for these sections, and in an 
effort to increase the seed as rapidly as possible considerable trans- 
planting was done. The seed from these transplanted plants was 
given S. P. I. No. 24598. It was under this number that the seed of 
Peruvian alfalfa was first distributed to the farmers. The increase 
in seed was not as rapid as seemed desirable, and in 1908, through 
the efforts of the United States Department of Agriculture, a con- 
siderable quantity of seed was procured from Peru under S. P. I. 
No. 22834. This seed was purchased from the same firm that sup- 
plied S. P. I. No. 9303, and the two lots were represented as being 
identical. 

By this time several farmers had become interested in the Peru- 
vian alfalfa, and in the late winter and early spring of 1908 a few of 
them were supplied with sufficient seed of the latest importation, 
S. P. I. No. 22834, for 1 to 5 acres of land. One of these farmers 
received seed of two S. P. I. numbers, viz, 22834 and 24598, the latter 
being the number given to the seed obtained from the transplanted 
plants of S. P. I. No. 9303. He soon recognized the differences in 
these two lots of alfalfa and two or three years later suggested that 
the Department of Agriculture give some other name than Peruvian 
to the second introduction (i. e., S. P. I. No. 22834), which proved 
so much like common alfalfa. The employees of the United States 
Department of Agriculture who were conducting the experiments 
with Peruvian alfalfa at that time had already made the observa- 
tion that the latest importation from Peru (i. e., S. P. I. No. 22834) 
was less hairy, shorter, and somewhat slower in growth than S. P. I. 
No. 9303 and agreed that the former should be given a different 
name. Unfortunately, nothing was done regarding the matter, and 
a little later, in 1912 and 1913, for want of a better designation, seed 
of these two alfalfas was placed on the market as Peruvian No. 1 
and Peruvian No. 2, No. 1 referring to the progeny of S. P. I. No. 
9303 (24598), and No. 2 referring to the progeny of S. P. I. No. 
22834. It is quite evident that a designation of this sort would be 
open to many objections, and a little later the alfalfa seed growers' 
organization of the Yuma Valley adopted " hair-leaved Peruvian " 
for the progeny of S. P. I. No. 9303 (24598), and "smooth-leaved 



Development of the Peruvian Alfalfa Industry. 5 

Peruvian" for the progeny of S. P. I. Xo. 22834. As might be 
expected, the seed trade found these names entirely too cumbersome, 
and these alfalfas are now usually found catalogued as "smooth 
Peruvian " and " hairy Peruvian " or simply as Peruvian and " hairy 
Peruvian." Thus, we find that the designations " Peruvian No. 1," 
"hairy-leaved Peruvian." "hairy Peruvian," and " S. P. I. No. 
24598 " have all been applied to the progeny of S. P. I. No. 9303, 
while "Peruvian Xo. 2." "smooth-leaved Peruvian," "smooth Peru- 
vian," and " Peruvian " have been used at various times to designate 
the progeny of S. P. I. Xo. 22834. 

It should not be inferred, however, that all the introductions of 
alfalfa from Peru fall into one of these classes. Several lots of seed 
have been received of plants that have variegated flowers and in all 
other characteristics are quite similar to our hardy alfalfas, such as 
the Grimm and Baltic. These introductions have never been devel- 
oped commercially, as they do not appear to possess any qualities 
superior to the varieties already on the market. 

It is very unfortunate that the names " smooth-leaved Peruvian " 
and " smooth Peruvian " should have come into such general use in 
connection with this alfalfa, as the descriptive terms are not only 
misleading but lead to confusion in the seed trade. The stems and 
leaves of this strain are by no means smooth, as the name as com- 
monly used would imply. It is true that the hairs are less abundant 
than on the true Peruvian alfalfa, but when the plants are carefully 
examined hairs will be found in considerable abundance. In this 
respect this strain will not be found markedly different from the 
common Arizona alfalfa. It is also to be regretted that the word 
" Peruvian " should ever have been applied to this alfalfa, for the 
reason that for some time " Peruvian alfalfa " had been the recog- 
nized name for the more hairy type of alfalfa introduced from Peru 
which represented the earlier importations. This alfalfa had for 
some time been recognized as a distinct variety and had been de- 
scribed botanically as such under the name Medicago satica var. 
polia. by Brand. 1 

In the early years of the Peruvian alfalfa industry in the Yuma 
Valley there was on the market a considerable preponderance of seed 
of the so-called " smooth-leaved Peruvian," as the original seedings 
among farmers comprised about 8 acres of this alfalfa and only 1 
of the true Peruvian. One farmer had all of the original seeding of 
the true Peruvian alfalfa and 7 acres of the " smooth Peruvian." 
The latter he allowed to remain for six years, or until 1915. So far 
as the records show, all the commercial lots of the Peruvian as well 
as the "smooth Peruvian" alfalfa in the United States at the 

1 Brand, C. J. Peruvian alfalfa : A new long-season variety for thn Southwest. Y. S. 
Dept. of Agr., Bur. Plant Indus. Bui. US, p. 23. 19M7. 



6 Department Circular 93, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. 

present time trace back to these original seedings made on this one 
farm. However, since the superiority of the true Peruvian has come 
to be more generally recognized there has been a gradual decrease 
in the acreage of the " smooth-leaved Peruvian " and a proportionate 
increase in the acreage of the true Peruvian. This difference will 
doubtless be more marked in the future, since the big increase in the 
cotton acreage in the Yuma Valley in 1917 and 1918 has resulted in 
the plowing up of many old alfalfa fields. As this land is put back 
to alfalfa, a much greater proportion of it is being seeded to the 
Peruvian variety than formerly, as that variety has given somewhat 
heavier yields than either the " smooth Peruvian " or the common 
alfalfas, and also because a demand greater than the supply has re- 
sulted in a much higher price for this seed than for other varieties 
and strains grown in the valley. 

The investigations that have been conducted thus far indicate 
quite definitely that for most parts of the Southwest the true Peru- 
vian alfalfa is superior to the smoother type. The former not only 
grows more rapidly, thus giving a somewhat greater tonnage of 
hay, but also makes more growth during the winter months, thereby 
furnishing a larger quantity of pasturage. However, if the true 
Peruvian alfalfa were no more than equal to the " smooth Peruvian " 
in point of yield, the fact that the former has characteristics by which 
it may be readily distinguished from common alfalfa, while the 
" smooth Peruvian " is so similar to the common alfalfa that it is 
often difficult to distinguish between the two, is sufficient ground for 
discouraging the use of the term " smooth Peruvian " alfalfa. Be- 
cause the true Peruvian alfalfa may be readily distinguished, even 
by the inexperienced, from the alfalfa commonly grown in 
Arizona, unscrupulous dealers are loath to handle this seed, 
preferring to handle the " smooth Peruvian," which gives them 
an opportunity to buy mixed lots of seed at the price of common 
alfalfa and sell it as " smooth Peruvian " at a price considerably in 
advance of the price they could get for seed of the former. For this 
reason they are continually emphasizing the advantages of the 
" smooth Peruvian " as compared with the true Peruvian alfalfa. 

As compared with common alfalfa, both the Peruvian and " smooth 
Peruvian" alfalfas are more upright, less branched, and have fewer 
and somewhat coarser stems and smaller crowns. (Pig- 1.) In 
thick stands, these differences are hardly noticeable. Most of the 
Peruvian introductions are also characterized by rapid growth, 
quick recovery after cutting, and in sections having a mild climate 
ability to make growth in cool weather after ordinary alfalfas have 
ceased growing. Under such conditions the former starts growth 
earlier in the spring and continues later in the fall, thereby giving 



Development of the Peruvian Alfalfa Industry. 



more cuttings each season. The principal objection advanced in 
times past to these alfalfas is their tendency to become somewhat 
woody when allowed to stand beyond the flowering stage, but this 
difficulty is easily obviated by harvesting earlier. 

Lack of hardiness will always confine the successful production 
of the true and smooth Peruvian alfalfas to the southern and south- 
western portions of the United States, where the climatic conditions 
are comparatively mild. They can not be grown to advantage where 
the winter temperature falls below 10° F. 

At the present 
time most of the Pe- 
ruvian and smooth 
Peruvian alfalfa in 
the United States is 
found in Arizona 
and California. It 
has also been grown 
to a limited extent 
in New Mexico. 
Texas, and the 
coastal regions of the 
Southeastern States. 
The results secured 
seem to indicate that 
in much of this re- 
g i o n the common 
alfalfa could be re- 
placed very profit- 
ably by Peruvian 
alfalfa. The accom- 
panying map (fig. 2) 
shows the region 
where P e r u v i an 
alfalfa is already or gives promise of being the most satisfactory 
variety in that part of the United States lying west of the ninety-fifth 
meridian. This region, however, includes a considerable area of land 
that is not suited to the production of any variety of alfalfa. In the 
southeastern part of the United States the soil and climatic conditions 
for the most part do not favor the production of alfalfa, but where any 
variety of alfalfa can be profitably grown in a comparatively nar- 
row strip of land along the Gulf coast and thence northwest along 
the Atlantic coast to the vicinity of Charleston, S. C, the Peruvian 
alfalfa should give the best results. 




Fig. 2. — Map of the western portion of the United States, 
showing the varieties or strains of alfalfa that in gen- 
eral are recommended for the various sections. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS A 



Department Circular 93, V. S. Dept u Q 022 265 380 

SUMMARY. 

Peruvian alfalfa was first introduced into the United States from 
South America in 1899, but the earliest introductions were not per- 
petuated. 

Another introduction was made in 1903 under S. P. I. No. 9303, 
and it is the progeny of this introduction that constitutes the true 
Peruvian alfalfa of the United States at the present time. 

Some of the plants obtained from the first seeding in the Yuma 
Valley were later transplanted, and the seed from these transplant- 
ings was given S. P. I. No. 24598. It was under this number that 
the seed was distributed to farmers. 

In 1908 a lot of seed was procured from Peru under S. P. I. No. 
22834. This was supposed to be identical with S. P. I. No. 9303, but 
later was found to be characterized by fewer hairs on stems and 
leaves and by slower and shorter growth. This introduction was 
given the name of " smooth-leaved Peruvian " by local growers. 

The name " Peruvian " was first used in connection with the more 
hairy alfalfa from Peru, and it is unfortunate that the same descrip- 
tive term should have been used in connection with the smoother 
introduction from Peru, as it leads to confusion in the seed trade. 

In the early years of the Peruvian alfalfa industry in the Yuma 
Valley there was a preponderance of seed of the " smooth Peruvian," 
but in more recent years there has been a decided increase in the pro- 
portional acreage of the true Peruvian alfalfa. 

Peruvian alfalfa may be readily distinguished from common al- 
falfa, but it is more difficult to distinguish the " smooth Peruvian " 
from the common, and as a result unscrupulous dealers prefer to 
handle " smooth Peruvian," as it gives them a better opportunity to 
dispose of mixed lots of seed without their being readily detected. 

As compared with common alfalfa, Peruvian is more upright, less 
branched, and has fewer stems and smaller crowns. It is also charac- 
terized by rapid growth, quick recovery after cutting, and ability to 
grow in cooler weather than common alfalfa. 



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